Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Intensive Battles on the Horizon

To most people the odd premise of the Meatloaf song, “Two out of Three Ain’t Bad” could be adapted into the stark reality and finalization of the next final weeks of the 2009 baseball season. Right now, this song can give the Tampa Bay Rays a musical punctuation mark to what must be done for rest of the season to realize their dream of taking this team into the postseason. And it is a good thing to envision and a positive thing to take two out of three games from your opponents, but what happens if you have only two games (Seattle) or a 4-game series ( Detroit/Baltimore/ Yankees) against an opponent? Do you then have to adjust to winning both of the two games, or three out of four games in that four game series?

Everyone seems to be starting to quoting those cliches right now of “Crunch Time” and “Must Win Situations” when chatting about the Rays chances. And to me it is all so funny because I have been voicing those concerns ever since April. I actually think that you set up your post season chances in the first three months of the season. Silly losses and unfocused moments rob you of wins that could be valuable right now. But in those early months of the season, people throw around phrases like the gospel according to ESPN that “It is early” or “Not to worry a 7-game winning streak can fix all of this”.

And in those early months you can be that naive about the ending of the season. Because there was so much baseball to be played, to even thinking of having to buckle down and win at least 2 out of 3 of the rest of your games to get into a spot to claim a Wild Card berth seemed like odd vision in the early months. Funny, they could even go this route and still come up short of your goal. And to me that is the reality right now.

Steve Nesius / AP

We need help to get to the post season. We truly do. It is not like this team is not competitive enough or strong enough to take on all comers to get there on their own, but they need help to step up the ladder and take that Wild Card berth. We have exactly 39 games left to our season. And we do have a huge important series lingering against team like Baltimore (8), Detroit (7), New York Yankees (7), Boston (6)and Toronto (6) that will shape the Rays dreams and aspirations for the postseason.

But maybe the remaining teams hidden on that schedule will be the deciding factors in this quest for the playoffs. There is one division in baseball that has handled not only the Rays, but the entire AL East this series in their series. The A L West again might hold the trump cards. The Rays are currently a combined 31-25 (.554) against the above group this season with all of their seasonal series games against Detroit still on the books. 25 of those 39 games are against team that are sporting a .500 record of above this season.

And 27 of those 39 contests are against our American League East foes. The Rays currently have a 27-18 (.600) record against their division in 2009. But not lost on the Rays is the fact that half of their final 32 games are played against the Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers, who all currently have great spot to enter the 2009 post season.

Those divisional games are important, and could be the fulcrum to balance the Rays towards a eventual Wild Card, but for some reason I am worried about a small set of 5 games more than the divisional tilts. The odd 2-game series against the Seattle Mariners and the 3-game series against the Rangers in late September in the hot box located in Arlington, Texas might be the last grasp at a chance to secure their goals. Those 5 games, not the divisional one could prove to be the teams downfall. And you know that this team has been simply miserable against the A L West division in 2009.

But I am not panicking or even about to spout defeatist venom yet. Sure this 7-game road trip envisioned by Rays Manager Joe Maddon to be the “Ring of Fire” could actually be the hot box they need right now to get into mental and emotional shape to grind out these last 39 games. But for their goals to still be on track, they need to take at least 4 or 5 of the seven games on the slate.

Steve Nesius / AP

And there is nothing that Detroit would like better than to pop down the Rays because they could end up being an opponent in the playoffs. The Tigers would love to send the Rays back home with their barbs between their fins and have to regroup and reformulate a plan to get them to their goals. Right now there are a few teams sitting there waiting for their chance at us again knowing that a victory by them can end this Rays drama in 2009.

Now the Rays front office is already secure in the fact of offering our 2009 Postseason Ticket packet prices and options to us in the mail the last few days. In it I saw that the package in 2009 for my seat will cost me $ 1080. That is a bit higher than last season, but you have to admit, we have expected more out of this team in 2009. And this Rays squad has the talent and the abilities to thrust themselves right up into that Wild Card mess and make it interesting all the way to their last game on October 3rd against the Yankees at home.

And believe me, I do not want to be watching football during the weekends in October. I would rather be sitting in my seat at Tropicana Field seeing these same Rays fighting for a chance to redeem themselves on the World Series stage again. But in the Rays post season packet is the message that any money or tickets not used this postseason will be adjusted and placed in our accounts for our 2010 Season Ticket purchase.

And I have faith in their chances and abilities to again celebrate and enjoy their moments with the fans in securing a second romp into the postseason dance. I will send in my money hoping and praying for a chance to again sit there and maybe catch two more foul balls during the American League Divisional Series. I hope to be sitting in the Trop for a pivotal game in the ALCS, and might even have a chance to see another first pitch at a World Series game placed in the dome. If not, I know my money will be there for me to enjoy another year where promise and hope will reign heavy again in April, May and June.

Like this:

Related

14 Comments

Cliff – you are SO right! It is never to early to worry about how you will end the season! The games in April & May count as much as the ones in August and September! The next month and a half is going to be one wild ride in the AL East. I hope we all survive!

Julia,
Not really worried about surviving right now.
Just trying to keep the boo-birds at bay really.
It is that time of the season where you truly know what everyone thinks by the way they address these final four weeks.
If they are positive, they have been with this Rays team for a long time.
If they are negative, they have also been with htis Rays team a long time, but see the pre-2008 fiasco on the horizon.

You gotta win series, and with the Rays beating the Rangers 2-1 in games this series’ they got the upperhand. Keep it in 4 wheel drive and crash into the first place spot and take it from the Red Sox!http://tribewithted.mlblogs.com/

Matthew,
Tell you what.
the game tonight so far in Toronto is a firm example of that fact.
But Jeff Neimann is looking like he did in that first start in Baltimore. Got hammered then settled down and is owning the Jays in the 6th inning.
The Rays put up 3 runs in the top of the first were down 6-3 by the end of the second inning.
they have now bounced back in a wild and crazy game to take a 8-6 lead in the top of the 6th inning.
I just hope this is not going to be a typical Rays/Jays game this series.
Might need a stress relief toy to throw at the TV.

Tribe Ted,
You know something, maybe the Rays should just do their job with their heads down and grunt it out and see where they lie when they come home against the Red Sox next Tuesday.
After leaving Toronto we get to visit Comerica Park and will miss seeing ex-Ray Edwin Jackson on the mound during that 4-game series.
Fun, Fun, Fun until Daddy(Selig) takes the title away.

Love your last line there to the Beach Boys song! When I saw in the schedule that the Yankees play the Rays at the Trop for the very last series of the season, I said, “That should be a great one.” These races could go right down to the wire. Fun fun fun is right!

Jane,
Guess I have next Saturday night’s last concert of the season on my mind right now.
And yes, it is the Beach Boys coming to the Trop along with the annual game taken in my the Tampa Bay area Parrotheads group.
Only thing better would be sand and waves in the outfield that night.
After tonight’s victory, it is now 1-0 for the “Ring of Fire” 7-game road tour, then back home to battle the Red Sox and the Tigers again.

With so many important series, the Rays are going to either make themselves into a playoff team, or break into many pieces. They are looking good now, with that come from behind win yesterday night, but they need to keep it in neutral and bust down the highway. :)http://tribewithted.mlblogs.com/

Tribe Ted,
The way they did bounce back more than once last night shows that they have the ability to score when they need to most nights.
But I think the next three days will tell us a lot.
James Shields will pitch during the Blue Jay series, and Matt Garza will go Thursday in the first game against the Tigers.
Both have not gotten great run support from the team this season. This might be the perfect test to see if the Rays will ramp up their offense to help these two pitchers get “w’s” for the team.

I hope Matt Garza throws at someone. That always wakes up the team. Carlos Pena is stroking the ball, and the Rays are looking golden. You are right on that though. The next three days WILL tell us alot about their playoff chances. Good luck! I have a new post up.http://tribewithted.mlblogs.com/

Tribe Ted,
Even tho he can be a headhunter, that is not the best use of Matt Garza for the Rays.
His stuff is maturing into some of the best stuff in the AL, and with time could be the ace of this staff.Anways, we are playing Toronto, which really would not brawl unless it is so intentional is is silly.
Plus, have you heard the crowd noise at their games.
It makes me wonder if they are awake or asleep while watching baseball some nights.
Very subdued crowd, but maybe that is theur style…let the baseball play out in front of them, then respond accordingly.

Erin,
So far, so good. 2-0 on the road trip might be about right, but I still wish they did not choose to not show this game instead of the Sunday contest now mot showing on ESPN.
I am an optimist, and I can not see going 39-0, but if we even got near that, it would be enough to win the division for sure.

The following are trademarks or service marks of Major League Baseball entities and may be used only with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. or the relevant Major League Baseball entity: Major League, Major League Baseball, MLB, the silhouetted batter logo, World Series, National League, American League, Division Series, League Championship Series, All-Star Game, and the names, nicknames, logos, uniform designs, color combinations, and slogans designating the Major League Baseball clubs and entities, and their respective mascots, events and exhibitions.